Courses

†Corporate Crisis Management (20384). 2 units, credit/fail. As a result of unplanned for (or badly planned for) negative events, companies increasingly find themselves as targets of aggressive legal action, media coverage and regulatory pressure. This is particularly the case for large or name-brand companies. Recent examples include the GM and Toyota recalls, the Carnival Triumph cruise, Target’s data breach and JPMorgan’s London Whale. The scale can range from an existential threat, such as BP’s oil spill, to a more minor reputational crisis, such as Lululemon’s recall.

One of the key challenges presented by these developments is that they do not arise from the usual interactions that characterize “normal” business. Instead, companies must organize and act across traditional hierarchies and areas of expertise and many times face antagonistic, unexpected tactics designed for maximal visibility and shock effect, potentially to force industry-wide change. In advising clients in these situations, lawyers must coordinate business concerns, legal issues, stakeholder concerns and regulatory matters, as well as plan for both expected and unexpected outcomes.

This class is based on experiential learning: a rich set of case studies and crisis simulation exercises balance the theoretical and legal frameworks and will help participants to improve their strategic thinking as well as team management and communication skills in high-stress situations. Enrollment limited to sixteen. Permission of the instructors required. H. Coleman, M. Trevino, and M. Wiseman.